The Dancer and the Prince
by Artemis-chan of Redwing
Summary: 100 glimpses into the relationship of Penelo and Larsa, as provided by the prompts of Fanfic100. Updated in no particular order and as inspiration strikes.
1. All Vaan's Fault

Well, I'm back from what was probably too long a hiatus, and I've a new fandom or three to write for. Right now, I'm getting my kicks from Final Fantasy XII, and my OTP? Larsa and Penelo. That is who all of these little fic-bits (if I can even call them that) are going to be about, because I've claimed them on the Fanfic100 LJ comm. So humor me, okay?

These will be in no particular order, really, just as I get inspired and write them. Also, I have not finished the game, but I've looked around enough to get the gist of what happens.

Comments are more than welcome, and I'll accept constructive criticism, thanks. Flames will be used to set marshmallows on fire.

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**001. Beginnings-All Vaan's Fault**

Penelo would never-_could never_-forget the exact moment that she first met Prince Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. It was all Vaan's fault, in a slightly twisted kind of way, and though she'd been quite upset at him for some time, she really wasn't now. Too many things had happened to make her hold that grudge for so long; besides, she had other things to be upset at him for now.

Anyway, Larsa. And why it was all Vaan's fault that she even met him. Vaan had gotten himself tangled up in that business with the sky pirates, and then those bangaa had kidnapped her and they went...somewhere. She didn't find out until later it was the sky city of Buhjerba, once she was out of those thrice-damned mines. That's where they'd kept her, and then they just...let her go.

So Penelo'd fought her way, tooth and nail as need be, out of those damned mines (and she knew better than to use language like that, but in her head it was perfectly okay) and straight into the arms of Judge Gristle, who'd wanted to lock her up. And thus, the argument had started.

Penelo had been in the middle of arguing with Judge Goon for her _life_, all 16 years of it, when out of the shadows of the mine had walked a boy-_a boy!_-who calmly told old Metal-Face to let her go, and that she was now his guest. He'd called her by name, and she was in such shock that she no longer had to deal with the Rust-Bucket that it never occured to her to wonder how he knew it.

In fact, she still didn't know. In a fit of sudden and rampant curiosity, Penelo turned over in bed and poked her husband in the arm, waking him. "Larsa?"

"Mmphm?" he grunted sleepily, blinking open his eyes.

"How did you know my name? When we first met, I mean."

Her husband sighed and settled back down against the pillows of their bed. "Vaan told me, when you were stuck in the mines."

"Oh." Penelo was vaguely disappointed that her husband did not, in fact, have telepathy. At the same time, this was one more thing that she could blame on Vaan, and maybe this one, he would never know, was a rather good thing.

_Owari_


	2. Grace and Power

Okay, round two! And a proper drabble this time, too. This one was written while I was in my Integrated Language Arts class, and we were talking about poetry. Not a poem, thank goodness for you, but just a drabble. For the record, a pole is my favorite weapon for Penelo to use, and please, no "Bow Chicka Wow Wow!" jokes here.

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**085. She – Grace and Power**

She fights with a pole, a supple length of wood. She twirls it around herself and herself around it, striking at her enemies from where the least expect it. He watches her shining for in the unblinking sunlight of the plain, out of the corner of his eye as he helps the party drop a group of Mesmenirs. A carelessly tossed potion heals Vaan, and he tries to pretend he's not watching her. They have been parted, and he is fascinated by her movements-equally graceful and powerful.

He only prays that she might one day notice him this same way.

_Owari_


	3. What's in a Name?

Here's the next bit! Inspired by my new favorite alias for Vaan, as stolen (with permission) from **Mithrigil**. And I just couldn't help myself.

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**031. Sunrise – What's in a Name?**

It was a soft tapping at the window that woke him. Larsa had long been a light sleeper (a habit ingrained in him since he was 12 years old and traveled for the first time through lands where being able to wake quickly was vital to survival), and this small, insistent noise was more than loud enough for him. Quickly, and yet with a certain amount of caution, he grabbed his dagger from beneath his pillow (the blade a gift from Penelo on his sixteenth birthday) and crept towards his window, the source of the interruption.

What Larsa saw when he finally reached the window made him drop his weapon and wrench the window open. "Penelo!" he whispered as he helped the young woman inside his private chambers. Once inside, she dusted herself off and flexed her hands, trying to work out the kinks that had formed from hanging desperately on the ledge outside the window. "Not that I am displeased to be graced with your radiant presence," the young Emperor continued, watching her apprehensively, "but may I ask what in the world you are doing here at this time of night? I had not heard that you and Vaan were in town..."

The way Penelo's face darkened at the mention of her best friend and fellow sky pirate caused the younger man to trail off. Her eyes took on a murderous glint and her hands fisted tightly at her sides. "I am going to _kill_ him!" While still whispered, her vehement tone caused the Larsa to back away quickly.

"Um, Penelo? Perhaps if you were to explain, I might have it in my ability to help you...?"

----

The explanation that Larsa had asked for was almost too incredulous to believe. Of course, it had taken Penelo a good deal longer to calm down than he'd anticipated, and dawn was approaching Archades as the Emperor tried to wrap his mind around what he was being told.

"I must check these facts. Vaan read this...picture book?" Penelo nodded in confirmation. "And it gave him an idea for a new alias." Again, a nod. "As such, he wanted to get his new name to be known, and decided to...paint it on the walls of my palace?" Here Larsa's voice rose several pitches.

The blonde grinned. "And Ashe's, too, but he figured that one wouldn't be so bad, since we _are_ both Rabanastran and all. Besides, I think Ashe has a soft spot for Vaan anyway. It's probably why he decided to do that one himself," she finished with a shrug.

Larsa looked at his unexpected guest with a raised eyebrow. "If that is the case, then why, dear lady, were you the one hanging outside my window and not he?" Penelo's resulting blush spoke volumes to the young man, especially when coupled with the endearing way she averted her eyes from his.

----

Later that morning, after the sun had properly risen, then Emperor of Archadia break his fast in his private apartments, drapes drawn so that no peeking eyes would see his guest, especially since the workmen were busy scrubbing the words "DREAD PIRATE RATSBANE WAS HERE" off of the walls below the Emperor's windows.

_Owari_


	4. Why One Should Not Abandon One's Partner

Well, this part follows immediately (or rather, about two weeks) after the last part. Largely inspired by a greatly amusing comment war with **Mariagoner**, to whom I think I can say this "chapter" is dedicated.

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**021. Friends – Why One Should Not Abandon One's Partners**

Vaan paced outside the large, impressive, ornate doors, wrestling internally with his decision. He couldn't just march in there, after all, since Penelo would most likely kill him on sight, and he didn't think that Larsa would be all that pleased with him either. What kind of friend leaves his pirating partner dangling from a ledge? It wasn't his fault that a patrol of Judges (just the minor ones, though; Gabranth wouldn't have cared so much) were coming around the far corner of the building and gods be damned, _he_ certainly wasn't going to get tossed in jail!

Shaking his thoughts away from those events of two weeks earlier, Vaan nodded to the footman standing next to the door. The door opened, and the footman announced, "The Dread Pirate Ratsbane" to the largely empty hall. There came no sign of recognition from the large desk and chair at the far end, and Vaan masked his nervousness behind a a casually arrogant and comfortable swagger.

"Hey Larsa!" His overloud voice echoed in the room, and still no sign of acknowledgement. "I was, uh, kinda wondering if you know where Penelo is? We've just gotten a commission from Ashe and..." Vaan trailed off as the Emperor of Archadia slowly raised his head, his expression impassive.

"Sir Ratsbane," he stated calmly, and Vaan winced at the name, "for what purpose could you possibly use my betrothed that you could not use your other assistants?"

Vaan grinned. "Well, Penelo's my navig-wait, what?" The Emperor's lips quirked upwards for the slightest of seconds.

"I would ask that you refrain from attempting to steal the Lady Penelo away from my protection," was the only reply the young sky pirate received as the most powerful young man in Ivalice stood. It was at this point that Vaan realized that Larsa _wasn't_ wearing his usual robes of state, but rather a shirt and trousers that made it quite clear that he _was_ sporting Joyuex and sword-breaker. His hands rested meaningfully on the hilts, and Vaan got the hint (for once).

Before Larsa could take another step, Vaan turned and sprinted towards the open window to his left and, in a move straight out of a bad action flick, dove through it and landed on top of his airship, which Kytes had piloted to be waiting there in case Vaan was stupid in front of the Emperor again. Scrambling inside, he yelled orders to Kytes to, in short, get them the hells away from Archades.

Back in the palace, Penelo giggled as she stepped out from behind a well-concealed door. "You know," she told Larsa, "we really must do this more often."

"Which part of it, my lady?"

"The part where you get all protective of me and make Vaan going flying through the window without even touching him, of course!"

_Owari _


	5. Goodbye Until Tomorrow

So, here's the next one! I've been addicted to the musical _The Last Five Years_, which was the inspiration for this ficlet. It's where I got the title from, and if you want to see the lyrics for this song, just go to my writing journal, Pool Watcher, that's linked in my profile. Also, forgive me for being a sap.

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**033. Too Much – Good-bye Until Tomorrow**

The evening had gone perfectly. Dinner was delicious, the play was the perfect mix of sweet and funny, and his date_-him, the Emperor of Archadia, on a date!-_was as charming as she ever was. Larsa Ferrina Solidor had waited and planned many long years for this moment (in his free time from running an empire, of course) when he could begin to woo the young lady who had stolen his heart when he was all of twelve years old. Of course, adults that they both were, they had been rather in the public eye that night, and rumours he could ill afford would abound wildly if they did not sleep in separate chambers. As it was, Larsa had yet to work up the nerve to place on those delicate lips.

Penelo, on the other hand, was quietly impressed with the extent to which Larsa had gone to ensure a pleasant evening for them. She walked alongside the young Emperor, talking quietly with him and sharing stories of her latest adventures as a sky pirate. The night had an almost magical feel to it, when they stopped in their trek back to the palace to overlook the city of Archades. She wasn't terribly surprised when Larsa gently kissed her, in that alcove. They both blushed brightly afterwards, but the small smiles on their faces were more than reassurance enough. Larsa accompanied her the rest of the way to her guest room in a comfortable silence. They paused outside of her door.

"Thank you for a wonderful night," Penelo said softly, a light blush still staining her cheeks.

Larsa gave her a short bow. "My lady, the pleasure was all mine," he returned, and a small light of indecision appeared in his eyes. Penelo, recognizing it, grasped his hand, pulled him closer, and quickly kissed his cheek, backing away towards the door afterwards. "Goodbye, then, until tomorrow?" The question was asked with a smile, showing no hard feelings.

He was a little thrown off by her actions but recovered smoothly. "Goodnight, my lady," he replied, suppressing his urge to pull her in for another kiss. Instead, Larsa turned and walked down the hall to his own chambers, glancing back to her as he turned the corner. Penelo stood outside her door, looking radiant in the moonlight, watching him.

Once Larsa was gone, Penelo opened her door, stepped inside, and locked it behind her. It was at that point that she melted into a pile on the floor, and dreamy look in her eyes and a grin on her face. It was almost too much for a girl like her to take in.

_Owari_


	6. Red Walls and Guitars

Well! This fic is dedicated to (and inspired by a long conversation with) **Mariagoner**. She's the one who gave me this image of punk-emo!Larsa, and it wouldn't go away until I wrote this. I'm a fan of this little piece, I have to say.

**011. Red – Red Walls and Guitars**

He leaned against the wall of the club, watching as the band set up on stage. His fitting, dark shirt and girl-jeans did nothing to help him blend in with the bright red walls of the bar, though the long, angled hair in front of his eyes shielded his face from all but the most insistent of spectators. Larsa Solidor has a lot to hide from the crowd gathering in the Grog Shop, not the least of which was that, for all of his almost 18 years, he'd never been to a show in a bar like this. Yet, here he was, alone and feeling, at least in his own mind, terribly conspicuous.

The band seemed to be having a few issues with some of their equipment, and Larsa looked on with interest as a tall, dark-skinned woman with long white hair and terribly revealing clothing fiddled with the guitar stands and sound hookups. He hardly noticed when he was joined on his wall.

"Fran's always a perfectionist," a soft voice said next to him with a small laugh. "She doesn't know when to let well enough alone." Slightly surprised, Larsa turned his head to see his new companion. He first noticed her eyes, a kind of blue-grey that he'd never seen before, and they stood out on her lightly tanned face.

"Watch them often?" he asked, trying to be polite as he continued to take in the young woman's appearance. Her incredibly light blonde hair was pulled back into braided pigtails, making her appear to be at least his age, if not a little younger. The girl grinned and shrugged.

"Could say that." She scrutinized his face for a second. "First time here?" Larsa blushed a little under her gaze.

"Yeah. I'm Larsa, by the way," he replied, offering her his hand. She shook it, brief but firm.

"Penelo. It's nice to meet you, Larsa." Her smile was genuine, and Larsa felt himself relaxing a bit.

"So," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the stage, "are you a friend, a fan, or do I not want to know?" Penelo giggled and smiled shyly at him.

"Friend, mostly. 'Thier and Fran are old friends, and Vaan, the drummer, is practically a brother to me." He stared at her, mouth agape, her pale hair shining brightly against the red of the walls.

"Oh." He blinked, trying to get his bearings. "Is there any other information you'd like to spring on me like that, or are we done for tonight?" He shot her a weak smile, and she returned it, blushing a little bit.

"I think that's it." A loud crash from the direction of the stage interrupted them, and the young man who had joined the woman began cursing loudly. Penelo sighed. "I guess I'd better go help them. Can we talk later?" Her eyes held a glimmer of hope as she looked at him.

"Sure, I'd love to," Larsa found himself saying, and then she was gone, helping the band get set up, and he stood back and watched her work. Not a bad job for his first concert, he thought.

_Owari_


End file.
